


Connection Failure

by ExplodedPen



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-07-09
Updated: 2005-07-09
Packaged: 2017-11-05 06:08:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/403243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExplodedPen/pseuds/ExplodedPen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Trip suffers a connection failure...and Malcolm pays the price.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Connection Failure

It was a connection failure that killed Malcolm Reed.

I'm an engineer. I deal will connection failure on a routine basis, the break in the connection can either be fixed or rerouted. Either way, a connection usually isn't broken for long.

I suffered total connection failure.

I don't even know why I said it. I don't know why, that at that precise moment, the connection between my mouth and my brain failed. Maybe it was the blow to the head I suffered earlier on during our capture, or maybe it was fatigue. Either way, as soon as the words left my mouth time seemed to freeze, and he stood there, looking like a little lost boy.

_"This is your fault."_

Those are the words I spat at him. _"This is your fault."_ Did I honestly believe it was his fault that we'd been captured again? Maybe, after all, it was Malcolm who had sparked off the incident in the first place.

We had been enjoying a friendly meeting with the Canarens, they had prepared a special meal and they seemed eager to talk with us. Malcolm was uneasy; he never could quite manage to relax on Away Missions. Anyway, upon entering the grand hall we were scanned without our knowledge. Their scans detected Malcolm's phase pistol which had been covered by his uniform jacket (the planet's temperature was lower than 5 degrees).

They began to believe we were out to kill their leader. Before we could even explain we were knocked out and taken to a cell.

And that was when it happened. That was when I suffered total connection failure.

I swear, that seconds before the words escaped my mouth that the connection between my brain and my mouth was working fine. I don't know why I spat those words so viciously at him.

_"This is your fault!"_

Why did I blame him? The Captain had been taken from the cell leaving Malcolm and I alone, and that was when I spat those words.

Sometimes, although you can swear to God that the connection between your mouth and your brain was working fine just seconds ago, that connection can break down in an instant.

And when that connection breaks down all that's left is either guilt or mortification.

In my case, it was both. I watched the hurt expression flicker briefly across his face and I saw for an instant a vulnerable look that made him look younger than he actually was. But it passed quickly. I felt guilty as soon as the words tripped off my tongue, but it was like my mouth had failed to receive the memo about shutting up.

_"This is your fault! You and your stupid obsession with bringing every weapon you can to a friendly first contact dinner!"_

The only way I can describe it is total connection failure.

There was dead silence for at least five minutes before I managed to fix the broken connection. _"I didn't mean it…"_

_"Yes, you did,"_ he interrupted me softly. _"What you mean to say is you just didn't mean to voice it aloud."_

And that was when he was taken away and the Captain was thrown back. I never got the chance to explain away my connection failure, but I do know that that connection failure is the reason why that self sacrificing bastard chose to give his life in some kinda move in the chess game that got me and the Captain freed, but left him dead.

It my fault, it was my connection failure.

It was a connection failure that killed Malcolm Reed.

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to The Libran Iniquity for the read through of this :)


End file.
